Arch Angels: Putting Kids' Feet First

A community for sharing the best ways to keep kids' feet healthy and the tremendous journey of Arch Angels from our inspiration into kids' shoes. For more information, visit www.myarchangels.com

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Heel pain occurs frequently and children ages 6-14 as their feet grow and the heel bone develops. As children become more active in sports, they increase the risk for growth plate injuries and subsequent heel pain.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

We here at Arch Angels Headquarters are always looking for informational sources to share with parents about children's feet. Check out this article as another reminder that as we change seasons, we need to pay closer attention to little feet to ensure they help our children maximize their activity and happiness!

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

I just read a great article online about preventing ACL injuries in young athletes, especially girls. It's right here (preventing sports injuries in children) and it brings up some very important points about the alarming increase in sports-related injuries in student athletes. There's no doubt that youth sports are becoming more competitive, more aggressive, and having a greater incidence of injury on young athletes. The article points out the important perspective of prevention in young athletes to help avoid some of the most common injuries. It discusses the new trend in orthopedics toward considering the body as a whole rather than an isolated joint when it comes to injury.

As the old song goes, "the knee joint's connected to the ankle joint," and on and on. If an athlete suffers a tendency toward knee injuries,orthopedists are looking more closely at the overall gait and starting with the foot. If the foot is not stable, then the whole leg is at risk for injury. Taking simple measures to align the foot and ankle can mean prevention of serious injuries to the ACL and other major joints. One of those steps is an arch support or orthotic. And, from a prevention perspective, the earlier you start this process, the better.

The article mentions the fact that even an athlete as young as nine years can begin doing basic strength training exercises using their own body as resistance. Building stronger supporting muscles, and getting the right support in shoes can have a significant impact on injury prevention. The earlier you begin with getting a child's foot balanced and stable, the more likely they will be able to avoid painful injuries later on. It seems really straightforward, and I encourage all parents with child athletes to take a closer look at how the foot is being supported. It may prevent your child from spending part of their youth sports career on the sidelines.

Friday, February 4, 2011

This article is an excellent snapshot of where we are today with children's footwear and shoe fitting. The frustrating part is that after 100 years, we still don't have a definitive guide for parents and caregivers of the right way to size and buy children's shoes. Instead of being far ahead of a century's worth of hard, damaging shoes, it seems we haven't really made enough of a leap in shoe design, but are now starting to understand the implications. Based on the studies highlighted in this article, we are doing much more damage to children's feet by not understanding the best environment for growing feet, damage that in many cases may be permanent.

It's something most parents don't give much thought to. Many (including me at times)We handle purchasing a pair of shoes as casually as buying a sweater or pair of pants for their child. 'We're driven by color, style, function. Or, rather, our children drive us to focus on these things and we forget the bigger picture, our responsibility as parents. But sweaters don't cause hammertoes, and pants won't lead to medical problems down the road.

I think the entire parenting community needs to be made aware of how important proper foot development is. I understand this on some level, but not once has it ever been mentioned in my children's well-visits with the pediatrician. That's where it needs to start. It is up to the medical community to educate us so that the footwear industry will respond with adequately supporting shoes and do away with fashion trends that are permanently damaging children's feet.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

I know that most of you parents have been paying attention to your school-age child's feet in the past few months, as you most likely had to purchase new shoes for back-to-school. Ah, what a lovely process - we won't regale you with stories of meltdowns in the shoe store when I patiently explained to my five-year-old that heels are simply not practical (or safe) for young girls.

It's probably been a month since you last checked, but I'm going to encourage you to do it today or tomorrow. It's time to give your child a fingerful of love!

When your child is wearing his shoes, bend over and feel the front of your child's foot and its relationship to the shoe. Is it pushing against the front? Is there a little space between your finger and the end of the toes? It's absolutely amazing how quickly the feet can grow - they do not often grow slow and steady, but rather seemingly overnight, especially since we parents don't often think to check whether our child's foot has grown.

I did this recently, for a pair of shoes I purchased in August for my daughter - and believe it or not, her toes were touching! Yikes. The budget-minded part of me protested, "No fair! Those were supposed to last until January!" But, Good Mommy took over and we went out to get her another pair of shoes with some wiggle room.

Now, the reason this is so important is that kids usually don't complain that their shoes are tight, until they reach the point of no return - i.e. they can't even get the dang shoes on. This is far too late for them to be wearing the shoes. Once the front of the toes are rubbing against the front of the shoe, all sorts of damage can occur -from blisters to calluses and beyond.

That's why it's important to give your child a fingerful of love every month. I'll be happy to remind you!

About Me

As a mother of three children between the ages of 4 and 10, I understand the importance of healthy feet. With my two business partners, both experienced podiatrists, we have launched a product that we believe is the answer to giving children's feet the support and comfort they need. I believe passionately that Arch Angels can make a positive impact on kids' feet, and I look forward to sharing with you the journey of Arch Angels as it enters the market!